In Valley, students caught in drug trap

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 14

The skin on the arms of 21-year-old Shahid (named changed) appears peeled off at several places and has white patches. On his neck too, there are scars. His lips are dark.

It’s the fourth year that Shahid, the elder son of an affluent family in uptown Srinagar, is into severe heroin addiction. It has ruined his life, he says. He dropped out of high school where he was in Class XII studying Arts.

“In my network, I know about 100 drug addicts and 70 of them are students,” he says.

In four years, Shahid has been admitted to rehabilitation centres thrice, but each time he relapses, as the urge of opioids is strong where the chances of relapse are always high.

“Everything was fine. Four years ago, I went with my group of friends to Haryana for an outing and it is there that I was introduced to heroin for the first time. Since then, it has ruined my life in every way,” he says.

His addiction is so severe that he uses needles to inject drugs into his arms and neck.

“My veins have disappeared on the arms from the excess use of syringes and that’s why I inject in the neck. Now there too it doesn’t work much,” says Shahid. “This can kill also, injecting neck is dangerous and above all, drugs take you away from all relationships.”

He points out to the easy availability of drugs in all districts of Kashmir as one of the main causes that is trapping more youths into the menace, making them leave their schools. He says a simple phone call and money dropped on a person’s pocket brings them drugs as the network is very vast.

“It’s easily available everywhere, but needs a lot of money,” he says, adding that he sold his car worth Rs 11 lakh for Rs 2 lakh to buy drugs once. “I sold my bike, my scooty and everything I could.”

“The journey started by taking drugs and then becoming the one who sold it. I ran out of all sources of money and slowly started selling it to get money. Like me, I have seen the journey of many youngsters who become peddlers,” says Shahid.

For the past two years, the pattern of substance abuse in Kashmir has changed among youths. From cannabis and medicinal opioids, there is a severe heroin addiction among youngsters as the scenes at the two drug de-addiction centres at Police Control Room and Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) showed. Many youths spoke about how they came in touch with drugs through their friend circle, school or peer pressure, revealing dangerous signs for the younger generation in Kashmir.

A recent study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (IMHANS) and a drug de-addiction centre in Srinagar found that over two-thirds of the patients in the study had started substance abuse in the age group of 11-20, showing that a large number of young people involved included students, pointing the focus of the authorities towards the menace prevalent among students.

Though there is no specific data as to how many number of students are into drugs, the schools are in a denial mode and fail to talk about the issue that they see as stigma and impact their reputation.

“The first strong indicator among students who can be into drugs is their absence from schools. We have often seen that it starts with bunking of classes which should be taken seriously. Most of these addicts are students who eventually drop out from schools,” says Dr Yasir Rather, in charge,drug de-addiction centreat SMHS Hospital.

The in charge of the largest drug addiction centre at the police control room, Dr Muzaffar, said there were a large number of students into drugs.

“Last month, we had eight BTech students admitted. There are students pursuing professional degrees and those who are in school,” he said.

The official said the more “dangerous trend is turning students into drug peddlers”.

“And the first casualty becomes the education of these children, which is unfortunate,” he said.

He said many students came in touch with heroin after they went to study in Haryana and Punjab, a trend that was observed at the drug de-addiction centres. While the Private Schools Association Jammu and Kashmir says they continue to counsel students besides taking other measures, there are no visible serious measures being taken to tackle the problem in educational institutions. “We counsel students during the morning assemblies and individually when we doubt there is any such problem with anyone of them,” said president of the association, GN Var.

The principal of a higher secondary school pointed out that there was laxity on part of the authorities. “If authorities are really willing, they can bring an end to it in two days.”

Change in substance abuse pattern

• For the past two years, the pattern of substance abuse in Kashmir has changed among youths. From cannabis and medicinal opioids, there is a severe heroin addiction among youngsters 

• A recent study by the Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences and a drug de-addiction centre in Srinagar found that over two-thirds of the patients in the study had started substance abuse in the age group of 11-20

• There is no specific data as to how many number of students are into drugs